The ProtectDefenders.eu Consortium is looking for a team of evaluators to conduct the final evaluation of the second phase of the implementation of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism (2019-2022). The full Terms of Reference for this vacancy are available for download here.
SCOPE AND FOCUS
The evaluation is carried out as the end of this implementation phase approaches and in the context of the subsequent renewal of the mechanism, with the intention that its recommendations and findings contribute to the integration of improvements and learning in the next programming phase.
The evaluation should focus on documenting the impact that the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism had on the situation of human rights defenders during the current phase of implementation and whether the Consortium has delivered in accordance with the Project proposal and primary objective of the Project. The evaluation should focus in particular on the direct support to human rights defenders under the project components, and should compare this with other programmes and the broader EU support to HRDs. It should also provide recommendations to improve the relevance and effectiveness of the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism in its follow-up phase of implementation.
The evaluation should concentrate as far as possible on the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism in its entirety. It is not the intention to evaluate the performance of the individual ProtectDefenders.eu Partners, although comparisons of practices can be used when relevant in order to draw lessons learned and contribute to improving overall performance.
The key areas that the evaluation should focus on include (the questions below are not exhaustive):
Relevance and coverage:
- Does the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism respond to the most acute needs of the defenders?
- Are activities timely, relevant and sufficient for the targeted beneficiaries?
- Do interventions reach the most isolated and most at-risk defenders – as defined by the Project?
- Is ProtectDefenders.eu’s strategy well-adapted to the context where defenders operate?
- Are ProtectDefenders.eu programmes and activities flexible enough to adequately respond to supervening needs confronting defenders, such as those arising from the COVID19 crisis?
Effectiveness and efficiency:
- How effective has the project been in achieving the objectives?
- How efficient was the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism’s set-up and strategy for achieving the programme’s objectives (consortium structure, number of Partners, necessary resources (human, material, financial)?
- How does the implemented partnership model provide added-value to the programme’s objectives?
Impact:
- What has been the impact of the assistance provided on the security of the HRD/organisations supported?
- What has been the impact of the assistance provided on the ability of the HRD/organisations supported to continue/strengthen their work in promoting the Human Rights Agenda, taking into account the different Project components?
- What potential multiplying effects could be observed?
- Are there external opportunities and challenges that have impacted positively or negatively the project?
Coordination:
- How effective was ProtectDefenders.eu’s cooperation and coordination with other relevant stakeholders (EU institutions, Human Rights INGOs and NGOs, representatives of Protection mechanisms, representatives of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform)?
- Did the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism contribute to the strengthening of coordination among human rights organisations? Did it offer increased networking opportunities for assisted human rights defenders and human rights organisations?
- How effective was the internal operational coordination and cooperation among ProtectDefenders.eu’s Partners, and with the donor? What best practices can be identified and what lessons have been learned?
Sustainability:
- What is the level of sustainability in the project interventions? How will the project ensure the sustainability of interventions after the end of the project?
METHODOLOGY
The consultant should use the following methodologies to conduct the assessment :
- Desk review: The desk review should include all available internal documentation (proposal, Project strategies, quarterly reports, interim and final reports from ProtectDefenders.eu to the Donor).
- Key Informant Interviews and field visits: Interviews should take place with the Donor, with ProtectDefenders.eu implementing Partners and Secretariat, with a relevant sample of the Project’s beneficiaries, and with partner organisations, including human rights INGOs, EU delegations in the field, mandate-holders of international and regional protection mechanisms and representatives of the EU Temporary Relocation Platform. Interviews can be organised online, but should also take place on the ground, particularly with beneficiaries. At least three field visits should be organised to produce country-case studies and to meet in person with individual human rights defenders and human rights local NGOs that benefited from the Project. For these visits, a geographical balance is to be observed and a balance in the categories of human rights defenders is met. The field visits are to be organised together with ProtectDefenders.eu Partners and Secretariat so that security considerations are duly addressed, both for the consultant and for the concerned beneficiaries.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Under the overall supervision of ProtectDefenders.eu’s Board, the consultant is expected to:
- Prepare a work plan for the implementation of the assignment;
- Provide an update on the evaluation’s progress in the monthly meetings of ProtectDefenders.eu’s board;
- Deliver the following outputs during the evaluation assignment/process:
- i. Inception report
- ii. Comprehensive evaluation report (30-50 pages excluding annexes) including:
- 1 Executive summary (including main findings and recommendations)
- 2 Introduction
- 3 Methodology
- 4 Evaluation of the EU HRD mechanism including a presentation of the findings and their analysis
- 5 Lessons learned and good practices
- 6 Recommendations
- 7 Annexes
- iii. Two presentations to be delivered summarizing methodology and findings:
- 1 Presentation of the draft report
- 2 Presentation of the final report
- iv. Feedback to the project beneficiaries involved in the process
CONTACT POINT
The evaluation will be facilitated by ProtectDefenders.eu’s Secretariat and carried out under the supervision of ProtectDefenders.eu’s Board. The Secretariat will provide all necessary material for the desk review, as well as contacts for key informants, and will help organise field visits.
TENTATIVE TIMELINE
The timeline for the consultancy is tentative as follows:
- Start of the evaluation – 20 June 2022
- Submission of the inception report and finalised workplan (including for field visits) for the evaluation – 10 July 2022
- Submission of a first full draft of the evaluation report and 1st presentation – 7 September 2022 (full draft), 15 September 2022 (presentation)
- Feedback on draft evaluation report and Board Response – end September 2022
- Submission of the final evaluation report (including comments/feedback) and 2 nd Presentation – end September 2022/ early October
* The final timeline will be agreed upon by the submission of the inception report.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
Payments will be scheduled against deliverables:
- Signed Contract – 30% up-front.
- Draft Evaluation Report including first presentation – 40%.
- Final Evaluation Report – 6 hard copies -1 PDF soft copy – Second presentation – 30%.
All deliverables should be provided in English.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Advanced University degree in Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Political Science or related field;
- At least seven years of work or academic experience in a professional capacity in Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Political Science or related field;
- Extensive experience in conducting evaluations of human rights projects preferably involving multiple partners and the European Union as a donor, including designing and employing both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, which are participatory and sensitive to the needs of the target group;
- Deep understanding of non-governmental organisations, human rights organisations, call for proposals procedures, legal and practical aspects of funding frameworks and Project management;
- Experience liaising with different stakeholders, including individuals, governmental and international entities and civil society;
- Advanced critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis skills required to draw conclusions from several sources of information and data;
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Ability to express clearly and concisely ideas in written materials and presentations; working knowledge of French/ Spanish is an asset.
- Proven skills in interpersonal communication and networking.
SUBMISSION OF OFFERS AND SELECTION CRITERIA
Applicants are requested to send their submissions to recruit@protectdefenders.eu, with the subject « Evaluation consultant » by 10 June 2022.
Applications must include:
- A cover letter
- A statement (3 pages maximum) detailing the understanding of the task, the proposed study methodology, a work plan and the proposed evaluation team (CVs annexed)
- A detailed financial proposal in Euros including consultancy fees and other eligible costs (transport and accommodation for field visits, printing, etc)
- Three samples of abstracts of previous relevant research/work.
The review of the submissions will take into account the following criteria:
- Understanding of the ToRs (10%)
- Suggested methodology (30%)
- Experience of the suggested team (30%)
- Quality of submitted samples (10%)
- Financial offer (20%)
CONFIDENTIALITY
All information presented, obtained and produced concerning the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism, the Partners and beneficiaries during the Evaluation process/Consultancy is to be treated as confidential. The selected consultant will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement upon signature of the contract. The selected consultant should also observe the communication and online digital security protocols established for the project, particularly in their interactions with beneficiaries of the project and in the management of sensitive information.
